Time Between the Time
by ifyoucanfindmeimhere
Summary: After New Caprica, Bill and Laura consider the symbols of the journey ahead of them. Written for afrakaday as part of the gift exchange for the adama roslin comm on livejournal.


He sat next to her on the couch, careful not to wake her. She stirred a moment, then settled, her breathing returning to a slow, steady pace. He wondered how long she'd been here. They'd talked briefly hours ago, the sound of her voice through the wireless reassuring him that she was alive and safe aboard her ship. Since then, he'd been busy overseeing repairs to _Galactica_, helping plan the reallocation of civilians to the surviving vessels, and touring the ship, making sure the refugees from New Caprica had what they needed for the time being. It wasn't until he had finally given into his body's demand that he rest, and slowly made his way back to his quarters on exhausted legs, that he thought about her again. He wondered how she was faring, and when he'd get to see her again.

And now, here she was, asleep under a jumble of blankets on his couch. He wanted to gather her in his arms, pull her towards him and never let her go, but instead he let her sleep, content to merely have her back on his ship, safe in his quarters.

His eyes studied her. The worry lines on her face were deeper, and she was thinner than he remembered, a testament to all she had endured under the occupation. His gaze followed downward. She was wearing a battered old fleet sweatshirt; his sweatshirt, he realized. It was several sizes too big, and it had fallen off her shoulder leaving it exposed. His mood darkened as he spotted several fading yellowing bruises along with a few newer, angry ones mixed in with the freckles along her pale skin.

As he continued to watch her she shivered, and he pulled the blankets from down around her waist up to cover her fully. Her hair was still damp from being washed, and brushed a lock of it off of her face and held it between his fingertips.

He had never really realized just how red her hair was until New Caprica, where the sunlight seemed to bring it to life, a visual manifestation of the vibrancy that seemed to run through her as she made her life on the planet. Every time he visited the surface he found himself more enthralled with this different side of Laura he was discovering, freed from the burdens of leadership and never ending responsibility.

He found himself switching shifts, taking every opportunity he could to make a run to the surface for a night of shore leave, or a meeting with Baltar to discuss security concerns. When he timed it right, he'd catch her after she was done teaching, and they'd spend the evening strolling through the compound arm in arm, having a drink, then retiring to her tent for the night. When the timing wasn't so good, he'd make a detour to her school tent on his way back to the raptor landing site, and wait for her quietly in the back of the school room. The smile she would give him when she noticed him there would carry him through the next however many days or weeks it would take for him to make it down again.

His dreams at night were filled with thoughts of her, of her finding him in the crowd as he made his final trip to the surface, never again to return to the sky. He'd notice her first, catch a glimpse of red, her hair a beacon that he would follow until finally they came together, greeting each other in the town center amongst a crowd cheering for the leaders that had brought them home.

Since the Cylons had returned, since he had left them, left _her_ on that planet, his dreams had turned to nightmares. _Galactica _would return to New Caprica, only to find it abandoned by the Cylons, their town a husk, no better than what they had left on the colonies. He'd search the settlement, desperate to find her amongst the few haunted survivors of a second holocaust. Every night the location would change, but the ending would be the same- he'd find her body amongst the wreckage of her tent, strewn across her desk in the schoolroom, in a mass grave- each time virtually unrecognizable but for the long red hair that had been left miraculously untouched in the carnage.

Shaking the memory he looked down on her again, letting her presence here soothe him in a way nothing else could ever hope to. He continued to play with a lock of her hair, watching as light reflected off the strands; the color muted the dim artificial lighting.

He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, breathing in the softness and the warmth of her skin. He made a promise to himself that he would get them all to another planet, to a place where the sunlight warmed their bodies, and set her hair ablaze once more.

Laura stirred and woke slowly, warm and secure for the first time in months. She was aware of a presence next to her, and without opening her eyes she knew who it was and why he was here. She felt a gentle pull at her head, and she cracked an eye ever so slightly to watch him finger a strand of hair, his face solemn as he studied it intently. Before she could let him know she was awake, she felt his lips brush against her forehead and she smiled, reaching up with her right to grasp the shoulder of his uniform.

"You're here," she said, opening her eyes to find his face mere inches from hers. She smiled, and he chuckled softly.

"I should be saying the same to you."

She hummed in agreement and stretched languidly, the aches and pains of her body no match for the balm that being in this space was once more was providing. "_Colonial One_ is in quite a state, and technically I'm not the president, so it seems that for the moment, I am homeless. I was hoping you might have room for one more refugee on your ship."

Bill grinned and sat up before reaching out his hand to help her into a sitting position. She went willingly when he wrapped an arm around her and brought her close to him. "I'm afraid _Galactica_ is over capacity at the moment- it'll take a few days to get all the survivors moved onto the ships that made it off the surface, and in the meantime everyone is double and triple bunking to make room." His voice was solemn, but his eyes twinkled at her, giving him away.

She schooled the smile off her face, and looked around with mock seriousness. "It appears that you are the only one not sharing their space tonight."

He shook his head. "Actually, I was hoping for a roommate."

"Oh really?" She asked, her voice lilting. "Who is she?"

Grinning, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Well, I thought she was a schoolteacher, but apparently that was just a cover because I've heard that she was actually the leader of the rebellion against the cylons."

"Is that so?" Laura's voice became a whisper, and suddenly the fear and panic of the past days and weeks came flooding back to her. She choked back a sob and as she fought for control against the barrage of emotions he pulled her closer to him and began to rock her gently in his arms.

They stayed like that for several long minutes until finally Laura pulled away, wiping the remnants of tears from her eyes. She smiled at him once more, grateful for his support, and reached towards his face, cupping his jaw running her thumb on the smooth skin above his mouth.

"You shaved it." It wasn't a question, but he nodded, answering anyway.

"It was time. Everyone is back, we're resuming the journey to Earth. That's my duty now- to get us all to Earth."

She giggled, amused at the way he always found a physical way to represent what he was feeling. A mustache for a journey on hold. A shared book for a fledgling partnership, as if a way to work together could be found in Prima's prose. A ring, long stripped of its other meanings, now a symbol of his devotion to his duty and the fleet. Eccentric, perhaps, but she had to admit it seemed to work for him.

"Maybe I should do that." He gave her a questioning look. "My hair. I let it grow on New Caprica- it hasn't been this long since I was in college. But if I'm going to be president again, it's too long to be proper. I should cut it."

"No," he said immediately. She raised her eyebrows at the unexpected response, and he softened. "I like it like this."

She grinned, nodding in agreement. "I do too."

She felt him brush a lock of hair off her face, and when she turned to look at him, he spoke, his voice soft but firm. "We'll find it Laura. We'll find Earth."

He pulled her towards him again, and she went willingly into the safety of his embrace, each of them remembering the events they had survived, and preparing for the journey ahead.


End file.
